A therapist's take on life, the world, you and me.

I went down to the crossroads

Like most Americans, I revere that seminal genius of the blues, Robert Johnson. And like most Americans, at some point in my life I understand it’s time to go down to the crossroads, fall down on my knees and ask the good Lord for mercy.

In my case, however, that process has mutated into something more along the lines of attending a professional development day event at a law school. But make no mistake – I’m going down to the crossroads. By which, of course, I mean Indiana, Crossroads of America.

The event I am attending is scheduled to take place at Indiana’s finest law school – Valparaiso University School of Law – and I’ll be participating on a panel at the plenary session. I’m not sure what all that means, but I’ll be there and I’ll be talkin’ and I’ll be feelin’ mighty plenary about it and that can only be a good thing.

If you happen to be going down to the crossroads yourself on Friday, October 16th, then for heaven’s sake high tail it down to Valparaiso and join me. The event is titled “Professionalism Series – The Happy Lawyer.” Everyone knows you could hardly hold a celebration of professionalism – or lawyer happiness – without The People’s Therapist, could you? I don’t think so. So that’s where I’ll be.

My thanks to Julia Bochnowski, Associate Director of Career Planning at Valpo Law (that’s what we Valparaiso insiders call it) for inviting me to participate. I look forward to a lively and informative event. See you guys on 10/16…at the crossroads.

2 Responses

I was at Valparaiso University to hear your talk. I am the Porter County Prosecuting Attorney, VUSL Class of 1987, Externship Supervisor, and Adjunct professor. What were you hoping to accomplish with your presentation? Presumably you intended to encourage students to find a fulfilling career either in the law or elsewhere. Your advertised topic was “The Happy Lawyer”. What you accomplished was to demean Valparaiso University School of Law and mock students who are trying to better themselves by seeking a law degree from a “fourth tier law school”. How dare you ask students what their debt load was? What business is that of yours? Why would you tell them that they will be likely eating off a hotplate in a rented room when they can only get a public interest law job? Was mocking them for being a “K thru J.D” supposed to encourage them? For a counselor, your lack of audience awareness and empathy was staggering. You demoralized every student in the room and seriously pissed off the alums (myself included) who were there to try to help the students. You spent time researching the admissions criteria, bar passage rates and employment statistics of the Law School, but didn’t even know the dean was a woman. Simply disgraceful.

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Will Meyerhofer, JD LCSW-R is a psychotherapist in private practice in TriBeCa, in New York City.
You can visit his private practice website at: www.aquietroom.com.
Will holds degrees from Harvard, NYU School of Law and The Hunter College School of Social Work, and used to be an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell before things changed...
Now, in addition to his work as a psychotherapy, he writes books and blog entries and a column for AboveTheLaw.com.